For various aesthetic and hygienic reasons, individuals have had the need to remove unsightly or unwanted hair from various parts of the body. Shaving razors are the most common and popular method by which this is accomplished. All shaving razors are currently designed with relatively short handles. If an individual is obese, elderly or has some degenerative ailment, such as arthritis, shaving hard to reach areas of the body or appendage extremities requires the user to assume uncomfortable, awkward positions. Such awkward positioning during shaving greatly increases risk of injury, particularly on wet slippery surfaces, such as a bathtub. Current designs preclude personal grooming of some body areas all together for such individuals.
U.S. pat. No. 4,905,372, Mar. 6, 1990 to Warren W. Willis, discloses a razor handle extension permitting a woman to reach the leg extremities without awkward bending. The drawbacks to this design are, first, that the razor handle extension is rigid and straight and, as a result, suited for reaching only limited areas of the body, specifically, the lower portions of the legs.
An additional disadvantage exists in the means by which the razor handle extension is joined to the razor. Willis' handle extension is designed with a clamping head that will accommodate various razor handle types. The clamping head has elongated arms that are pinched down onto the shaft of the razor handle by a small ring that snaps into place around the outside surface of the arms over retaining flanges. In the wet, slippery conditions such as occur when shaving, this clamping mechanism can be very difficult to operate. Moreover, a person with arthritic hands would likely find it nearly impossible to manage. Additionally, this clamping head does not provide a positive lock between razor handle and handle extension, thus allowing the shaving razor to shift position in relation to the longitudinal axis of the handle extension, increasing the difficulty of grooming hard to reach areas of the body. No other designs have been presented to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages.